...and Toronto is the unfortunate hub of Canada which is why they are so high.

Why is it "unfortunate" to be a hub? Or were you simply implying that unfortunately Edmonton has lower numbers just due to the fact that Calgary is a hub in the west?

I hate when it gets so testy with regards to YYC/YEG.

I don't know of anybody personally that would drive the 10+ hours to YVR to save some money, if they would after the drive anyways.

hahaha touche

YEG gets absolutely screwed over because of YYC being the HUB and while we have made significant inroads into new routes, PAX, infrastructure... the perception is that YYC is Alberta's hub (and the west's).

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"The destructive effects of automobiles are much less a cause than a symptom of our incompetence at city building" - Jane Jacobs 1961ish

I hear that, and of course over the last how many years has the city been fighting over what to do with the city centre airport? That has not helped get a concrete plan in place for YEG until recently, in my amatuer observations of the situation.

I wonder why the Québec cities don't push their weight as much as other places. I think Québec would be more touristy than Calgary therefore more people coming in. And Montréal is behind too, in terms of the top 3, considering Vancouver is so much higher. And I always hear how Montréal is a great destination though.

you can't drive or take the train to Calgary from NY, Boston or Washington.

Well I'm sure Coldsrx meant of the prairies, Calgary is certainly the hub of that area however if you want to fly international you will most likely have to get routed out of Vancouver or Toronto, although Calgary is gaining more intl flights.

One thing to keep in mind when comparing these numbers, as has been alluded to before, is the effect of other airports and competing forms of travel. In Toronto Montreal and Vancouver there are all secondary airports (Toronto Island, Mirabel, and Abbotsford) respectively which detract somewhat from the numbers of the main airports. Also important is the presence of alternate forms of transit, being VIA in Montreal and Toronto and float planes in Vancouver. These alternate methods of transit detract from the numbers of passengers who would be flying something like AC Jazz if these alternate services did not exist.

Proximity to American airports is also a major factor. I know personally I have flown out of Sea-Tac and Detroit/Buffalo almost as many times as I have YVR and Pearson due to the major cost savings. Unfortunately for Calgary (although fortunately for it's airport authority) there isn't a large American city nearby to provide it with this alternative.

I hear that, and of course over the last how many years has the city been fighting over what to do with the city centre airport? That has not helped get a concrete plan in place for YEG until recently, in my amatuer observations of the situation.

the city centre airport has not, IMO, done anything +/- to YEG with regards to where we are at

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"The destructive effects of automobiles are much less a cause than a symptom of our incompetence at city building" - Jane Jacobs 1961ish

Well I'm sure Coldsrx meant of the prairies, Calgary is certainly the hub of that area however if you want to fly international you will most likely have to get routed out of Vancouver or Toronto, although Calgary is gaining more intl flights.

I would certainly hope someone travelling into Europe and points onward from there doesn't have to fly through YVR or YYZ now (barring those crazy will fly anywhere for a price people), Calgary's current European connections are:

-LHR with either BA daily, AC daily (2x daily in the summer)
-FRA with Lufthansa or AC (daily)
-AMS with KLM (4x weekly)
-plus a bunch of smaller services to places like Gatwick with the likes of Air Transat and some others.

Now if we are talking destinations like the pacific rim and south America then yes one would tend to be funneled through YVR and YYZ as Canadian hub connections.

Well I'm sure Coldsrx meant of the prairies, Calgary is certainly the hub of that area however if you want to fly international you will most likely have to get routed out of Vancouver or Toronto, although Calgary is gaining more intl flights.

actually i didn't for many people are routed through YYC in man/sask/ab rather than Van unless they proceed overseas... but within NA YYC is a popular transfer.

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"The destructive effects of automobiles are much less a cause than a symptom of our incompetence at city building" - Jane Jacobs 1961ish

I'm a little bit surprised that Calgary appears to be almost as busy as Montreal in that stats. What happened to all the tourism industries in Montreal ? That place is a hot bed for many tourists (including myself, except I took the train to Montreal). I guess the concentration of business trips in Calgary more than make up that difference.

Montreal is close to some big cities like NYC, Washington, Boston, Philadelphia, Toronto, Ottawa. Calgary is not.
I always drive to go to Florida. It's easy, no mountains, nothing. You can also visit others cities if you use a car. As you see below, Calgary and Edmonton's traffic is mainly domestic.

Tourism is not the problem in Montreal, YUL have the largest % of international traffic even if it's competing against US airports and Pearson.

Vancouver and Edmonton are "hubs" close by. Edmonton is less a hub. But how can you compete with big WJ and AC offices? We're expanding lots too.

I can't imagine anyone driving from Calgary to Vancouver to catch a flight, that's over 1000km! Montreal is the absolute furthest I would drive to for a flight and it's 150km. Toronto is 3.5-4 hours drive from Ottawa, during which time I could be 2/3 of the way to London, England. I guess distance is a relative term in Canada. Some people are willing to work hard for a deal and others are willing to pay for convenience. I'm a member of the latter.

I can't imagine anyone driving from Calgary to Vancouver to catch a flight, that's over 1000km! Montreal is the absolute furthest I would drive to for a flight and it's 150km. Toronto is 3.5-4 hours drive from Ottawa, during which time I could be 2/3 of the way to London, England. I guess distance is a relative term in Canada. Some people are willing to work hard for a deal and others are willing to pay for convenience. I'm a member of the latter.

I remember a guy on Greyhound that was going to Montreal to catch a flight, and he came all the way from Winnipeg.

Well I'm sure Coldsrx meant of the prairies, Calgary is certainly the hub of that area...

One thing to keep in mind when comparing these numbers, as has been alluded to before, is the effect of other airports and competing forms of travel. In Toronto Montreal and Vancouver there are all secondary airports (Toronto Island, Mirabel, and Abbotsford) respectively which detract somewhat from the numbers of the main airports. Also important is the presence of alternate forms of transit, being VIA in Montreal and Toronto and float planes in Vancouver. These alternate methods of transit detract from the numbers of passengers who would be flying something like AC Jazz if these alternate services did not exist.

Proximity to American airports is also a major factor. I know personally I have flown out of Sea-Tac and Detroit/Buffalo almost as many times as I have YVR and Pearson due to the major cost savings. Unfortunately for Calgary (although fortunately for it's airport authority) there isn't a large American city nearby to provide it with this alternative.

YYC is the hub for the prairie provinces going east/BC (I know Sask folks that actually buy tickets to YYZ/YUL via YYC! - travel west to go east ) and YYC domestic numbers show this. YVR is the domestic hub for most of BC and Canadian International hub for travel east (Asia/Australia/Pacific Islands). YVR is geographically unsuited to be a 'Western Canada" hub for domestic travel.

I know LOTS of people who fly via Sea/Tac to points in Asia/US/Europe instead of YVR from Victoria. This is usually due to cost and/or schedule. I fly out of Seatac as much as YVR - Seatac is only a 20 min flight from Victoria and is just as busy as YYZ (32.3 million pass) with much better US connections than YVR.

I remember reading recently that Victoria's Harbour "airport" (flights to Seattle/Vancouver direct Harbour-Harbour) handles 250,000 passengers a year. That would be in addition to our main airport numbers.

YYC is the hub for the prairie provinces going east/BC (I know Sask folks that actually buy tickets to YYZ/YUL via YYC! - travel west to go east ) and YYC domestic numbers show this. YVR is the domestic hub for most of BC and Canadian International hub for travel east (Asia/Australia/Pacific Islands). YVR is geographically unsuited to be a 'Western Canada" hub for domestic travel.

I know LOTS of people who fly via Sea/Tac to points in Asia/US/Europe instead of YVR from Victoria. This is usually due to cost and/or schedule. I fly out of Seatac as much as YVR - Seatac is only a 20 min flight from Victoria and is just as busy as YYZ (32.3 million pass) with much better US connections than YVR.

I remember reading recently that Victoria's Harbour "airport" (flights to Seattle/Vancouver direct Harbour-Harbour) handles 250,000 passengers a year. That would be in addition to our main airport numbers.

I agree and living on the island i would rather connect in edmonton or Calgary, and if going to teh states it varies.

keep in mind the cost though abuot the east west thing, I once flew to my house in El Paso TX, and ended up connecting in Houston as it was $200 than doing a connection in PHX at that time.

Montreal is close to some big cities like NYC, Washington, Boston, Philadelphia, Toronto, Ottawa. Calgary is not.
I always drive to go to Florida. It's easy, no mountains, nothing. You can also visit others cities if you use a car. As you see below, Calgary and Edmonton's traffic is mainly domestic.

Tourism is not the problem in Montreal, YUL have the largest % of international traffic even if it's competing against US airports and Pearson.